Implementing a Family-Centered Rounds Intervention Using Novel Mentor-Trios.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patient and Family Centered I-PASS (PFC I-PASS) emphasizes family and nurse engagement, health literacy, and structured communication on family-centered rounds organized around the I-PASS framework (Illness severity-Patient summary-Action items-Situational awareness-Synthesis by receiver). We assessed adherence, safety, and experience after implementing PFC I-PASS using a novel "Mentor-Trio" implementation approach with multidisciplinary parent-nurse-physician teams coaching sites. METHODS: Hybrid Type II effectiveness-implementation study from 2/29/19-3/13/22 with ≥3 months of baseline and 12 months of postimplementation data collection/site across 21 US community and tertiary pediatric teaching hospitals. We conducted rounds observations and surveyed nurses, physicians, and Arabic/Chinese/English/Spanish-speaking patients/parents. RESULTS: We conducted 4557 rounds observations and received 2285 patient/family, 1240 resident, 819 nurse, and 378 attending surveys. Adherence to all I-PASS components, bedside rounding, written rounds summaries, family and nurse engagement, and plain language improved post-implementation (13.0%-60.8% absolute increase by item), all P < .05. Except for written summary, improvements sustained 12 months post-implementation. Resident-reported harms/1000-resident-days were unchanged overall but decreased in larger hospitals (116.9 to 86.3 to 72.3 pre versus early- versus late-implementation, P = .006), hospitals with greater nurse engagement on rounds (110.6 to 73.3 to 65.3, P < .001), and greater adherence to I-PASS structure (95.3 to 73.6 to 72.3, P < .05). Twelve of 12 measures of staff safety climate improved (eg, "excellent"/"very good" safety grade improved from 80.4% to 86.3% to 88.0%), all P < .05. Patient/family experience and teaching were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals successfully used Mentor-Trios to implement PFC I-PASS. Family/nurse engagement, safety climate, and harms improved in larger hospitals and hospitals with better nurse engagement and intervention adherence. Patient/family experience and teaching were not affected.

Social Navigation for Adolescent Emergency Department Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Adolescent emergency department (ED) patients have unmet social needs that contribute to ED use. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of social needs navigation for adolescents on subsequent ED visits and community resource use and to identify characteristics associated with elevated social risk. METHODS: Between July 2017 and August 2019, we used a random date generator to establish intervention and control group enrollment dates. All adolescents completed a social needs survey. Adolescents enrolled on intervention dates received in-person, risk-tailored social needs navigation. Those enrolled on control dates received a preprinted resource guide. We used chart review and follow-up calls to assess 12-month ED revisits and community resource use. Logistic regression was used to compare these outcomes between groups. We measured the association between ≥3 reported unmet needs and characteristics hypothesized a priori to be associated with elevated social risk (nonurgent visits, obesity, or any of nine "socially sensitive" chief complaints) using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 399 adolescents were randomized. There was no difference between groups in the number of ED revisits. There was increased community resource use in the intervention group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.5 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.5, 8.2]). Adolescents with a socially sensitive chief complaint had increased odds of ≥3 unmet needs (aOR: 2.2 [95% CI: 1.3, 3.6]), as did those with food insecurity in a post hoc analysis (aOR: 9.9 [95% CI: 4.0, 24.6]). DISCUSSION: Social needs navigation increased community resource use but not subsequent ED visits. Adolescents with socially sensitive chief complaints or food insecurity reported increased unmet needs.

Rhinoviruses A and C elicit long-lasting antibody responses with limited cross-neutralization.

Rhinoviruses (RVs) can cause severe wheezing illnesses in young children and patients with asthma. Vaccine development has been hampered by the multitude of RV types with little information about cross-neutralization. We previously showed that neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses to RV-C are detected twofold to threefold more often than those to RV-A throughout childhood. Based on those findings, we hypothesized that RV-C infections are more likely to induce either cross-neutralizing or longer-lasting antibody responses compared with RV-A infections. We pooled RV diagnostic data from multiple studies of children with respiratory illnesses and compared the expected versus observed frequencies of sequential infections with RV-A or RV-C types using log-linear regression models. We tested longitudinally collected plasma samples from children to compare the duration of RV-A versus RV-C nAb responses. Our models identified limited reciprocal cross-neutralizing relationships for RV-A (A12-A75, A12-A78, A20-A78, and A75-A78) and only one for RV-C (C2-C40). Serologic analysis using reference mouse sera and banked human plasma samples confirmed that C40 infections induced nAb responses with modest heterotypic activity against RV-C2. Mixed-effects regression modeling of longitudinal human plasma samples collected from ages 2 to 18 years demonstrated that RV-A and RV-C illnesses induced nAb responses of similar duration. These results indicate that both RV-A and RV-C nAb responses have only modest cross-reactivity that is limited to genetically similar types. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, RV-C species may include even fewer cross-neutralizing types than RV-A, whereas the duration of nAb responses during childhood is similar between the two species. The modest heterotypic responses suggest that RV vaccines must have a broad representation of prevalent types.

StethAid: A Digital Auscultation Platform for Pediatrics.

(1) Background: Mastery of auscultation can be challenging for many healthcare providers. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital support is emerging as an aid to assist with the interpretation of auscultated sounds. A few AI-augmented digital stethoscopes exist but none are dedicated to pediatrics. Our goal was to develop a digital auscultation platform for pediatric medicine. (2) Methods: We developed StethAid-a digital platform for artificial intelligence-assisted auscultation and telehealth in pediatrics-that consists of a wireless digital stethoscope, mobile applications, customized patient-provider portals, and deep learning algorithms. To validate the StethAid platform, we characterized our stethoscope and used the platform in two clinical applications: (1) Still's murmur identification and (2) wheeze detection. The platform has been deployed in four children's medical centers to build the first and largest pediatric cardiopulmonary datasets, to our knowledge. We have trained and tested deep-learning models using these datasets. (3) Results: The frequency response of the StethAid stethoscope was comparable to those of the commercially available Eko Core, Thinklabs One, and Littman 3200 stethoscopes. The labels provided by our expert physician offline were in concordance with the labels of providers at the bedside using their acoustic stethoscopes for 79.3% of lungs cases and 98.3% of heart cases. Our deep learning algorithms achieved high sensitivity and specificity for both Still's murmur identification (sensitivity of 91.9% and specificity of 92.6%) and wheeze detection (sensitivity of 83.7% and specificity of 84.4%). (4) Conclusions: Our team has created a technically and clinically validated pediatric digital AI-enabled auscultation platform. Use of our platform could improve efficacy and efficiency of clinical care for pediatric patients, reduce parental anxiety, and result in cost savings.

Prediction of Suicide Attempts and Suicide-Related Events Among Adolescents Seen in Emergency Departments.

Importance: Screening adolescents in emergency departments (EDs) for suicidal risk is a recommended strategy for suicide prevention. Comparing screening measures on predictive validity could guide ED clinicians in choosing a screening tool. Objective: To compare the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) instrument with the Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth (CASSY) instrument for the prediction of suicidal behavior among adolescents seen in EDs, across demographic and clinical strata. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Emergency Department Study for Teens at Risk for Suicide is a prospective, random-series, multicenter cohort study that recruited adolescents, oversampled for those with psychiatric symptoms, who presented to the ED from July 24, 2017, through October 29, 2018, with a 3-month follow-up to assess the occurrence of suicidal behavior. The study included 14 pediatric ED members of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network and 1 Indian Health Service ED. Statistical analysis was performed from May 2021 through January 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: This study used a prediction model to assess outcomes. The primary outcome was suicide attempt (SA), and the secondary outcome was suicide-related visits to the ED or hospital within 3 months of baseline; both were assessed by an interviewer blinded to baseline information. The ASQ is a 4-item questionnaire that surveys suicidal ideation and lifetime SAs. A positive response or nonresponse on any item indicates suicidal risk. The CASSY is a computerized adaptive screening tool that always includes 3 ASQ items and a mean of 8 additional items. The CASSY's continuous outcome is the predicted probability of an SA. Results: Of 6513 adolescents available, 4050 were enrolled, 3965 completed baseline assessments, and 2740 (1705 girls [62.2%]; mean [SD] age at enrollment, 15.0 [1.7] years; 469 Black participants [17.1%], 678 Hispanic participants [24.7%], and 1618 White participants [59.1%]) completed both screenings and follow-ups. The ASQ and the CASSY showed a similar sensitivity (0.951 [95% CI, 0.918-0.984] vs 0.945 [95% CI, 0.910-0.980]), specificity (0.588 [95% CI, 0.569-0.607] vs 0.643 [95% CI, 0.625-0.662]), positive predictive value (0.127 [95% CI, 0.109-0.146] vs 0.144 [95% CI, 0.123-0.165]), and negative predictive value (both 0.995 [95% CI, 0.991-0.998], respectively). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve findings were similar among patients with physical symptoms (ASQ, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.81-0.95] vs CASSY, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.91-0.96]). Among patients with psychiatric symptoms, the CASSY performed better than the ASQ (0.72 [95% CI, 0.68-0.77] vs 0.57 [95% CI, 0.55-0.59], respectively). Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that both the ASQ and the CASSY are appropriate for universal screening of patients in pediatric EDs. For the small subset of patients with psychiatric symptoms, the CASSY shows greater predictive validity.

Implementation of caregiver depression screening in an urban, community-based asthma clinic: a quality improvement project.

OBJECTIVE: Caregiver depressive symptoms are prevalent among children with asthma and associated with greater asthma morbidity. Identifying caregivers with depression and connecting them to appropriate treatment may reduce child asthma morbidity. The goal of this project was to implement a workflow for caregiver depression screening and treatment referral in an urban, community-based, asthma clinic serving under-resourced children. METHODS: The Model for Improvement with weekly Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles was utilized. A two-item depression screening tool (Patient Health Questionnaire-2; PHQ-2) and an acceptability question using a 5-point Likert scale were added to an existing social needs screening checklist administered to all caregivers during the child's clinic visit. Caregivers with a positive PHQ-2 score (≥3) received the PHQ-9. Positive screens on the PHQ-9 (≥5) received information and referrals by level of risk. PHQ-9 positive caregivers received a follow-up phone call two weeks post-visit to assess connection to support, improvement in depressive symptoms, and satisfaction with resources provided. RESULTS: The PHQ-2 was completed by 84.4% of caregivers (233/276). Caregivers had a mean age of 33.8 years (SD = 8.3; Range: 18-68) and were predominately female (86.4%), Black (80.4%), and non-Hispanic (78.4%). The majority (72.3%) found the screening acceptable (agree/strongly agree). Nearly one in six caregivers (37/233, 15.9%) reported depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 ≥ 3); 11.6% (27/233) had clinically significant symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10); and 2.1% (5/233) reported suicidal thoughts. Of those with depressive symptoms, 70.3% (26/37) participated in the follow-up phone call. While 50% (13/26) reported the resources given in clinic were "extremely helpful," no caregivers contacted or used them. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiver depression screening was successfully integrated into a pediatric asthma clinic serving under-resourced children. While caregivers found screening to be acceptable, it did not facilitate short-term connection to treatment among those with depressive symptoms.

Implementation of the I-PASS handoff program in diverse clinical environments: A multicenter prospective effectiveness implementation study.

BACKGROUND: Handoff miscommunications are a leading source of medical errors. Harmful medical errors decreased in pediatric academic hospitals following implementation of the I-PASS handoff improvement program. However, implementation across specialties has not been assessed. OBJECTIVE: To determine if I-PASS implementation across diverse settings would be associated with improvements in patient safety and communication. DESIGN: Prospective Type 2 Hybrid effectiveness implementation study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Residents from diverse specialties across 32 hospitals (12 community, 20 academic). INTERVENTION: External teams provided longitudinal coaching over 18 months to facilitate implementation of an enhanced I-PASS program and monthly metric reviews. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: Systematic surveillance surveys assessed rates of resident-reported adverse events. Validated direct observation tools measured verbal and written handoff quality. RESULTS: 2735 resident physicians and 760 faculty champions from multiple specialties (16 internal medicine, 13 pediatric, 3 other) participated. 1942 error surveillance reports were collected. Major and minor handoff-related reported adverse events decreased 47% following implementation, from 1.7 to 0.9 major events/person-year (p < .05) and 17.5 to 9.3 minor events/person-year (p < .001). Implementation was associated with increased inclusion of all five key handoff data elements in verbal (20% vs. 66%, p < .001, n = 4812) and written (10% vs. 74%, p < .001, n = 1787) handoffs, as well as increased frequency of handoffs with high quality verbal (39% vs. 81% p < .001) and written (29% vs. 78%, p < .001) patient summaries, verbal (29% vs. 78%, p < .001) and written (24% vs. 73%, p < .001) contingency plans, and verbal receiver syntheses (31% vs. 83%, p < .001). Improvement was similar across provider types (adult vs. pediatric) and settings (community vs. academic).

Implementation of a Medical Clearance Algorithm for Psychiatric Emergency Patients.

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence demonstrating limited benefit, many clinicians continue to perform routine laboratory testing of well-appearing children to medically clear them before psychiatric admission. METHODS: We conducted a quality improvement project to reduce routine laboratory testing among pediatric patients requiring admission to our psychiatric unit. We convened key stakeholders whose input informed the modification of an existing pathway and the development of a medical clearance algorithm. Our outcome was a reduction in routine laboratory testing for children requiring psychiatric admission. Our balancing measure was the number of patients requiring transfer from the inpatient psychiatry unit to a medical service. We used run charts to evaluate nonrandom variation and demonstrate sustained change. RESULTS: Before the introduction of the new medical clearance algorithm, 93% (n = 547/589) of children with psychiatric emergencies received laboratory testing. After implementing the medical clearance algorithm, 19.6% (n = 158/807) of children with psychiatric emergencies received laboratory testing. Despite a decreased rate of routine testing, there were no transfers to the medical service. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a medical clearance algorithm can decrease routine laboratory testing without increasing transfers to the medical service among children requiring psychiatric admission.

Family, nurse, and physician beliefs on family-centered rounds: A 21-site study.

BACKGROUND: Variation exists in family-centered rounds (FCR). OBJECTIVE: We sought to understand patient/family and clinician FCR beliefs/attitudes and practices to support implementation efforts. DESIGNS, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Patients/families and clinicians at 21 geographically diverse US community/academic pediatric teaching hospitals participated in a prospective cohort dissemination and implementation study. INTERVENTION: We inquired about rounding beliefs/attitudes, practices, and demographics using a 26-question survey coproduced with family/nurse/attending-physician collaborators, informed by prior research and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: Out of 2578 individuals, 1647 (64%) responded to the survey; of these, 1313 respondents participated in FCR and were included in analyses (616 patients/families, 243 nurses, 285 resident physicians, and 169 attending physicians). Beliefs/attitudes regarding the importance of FCR elements varied by role, with resident physicians rating the importance of several FCR elements lower than others. For example, on adjusted multivariable analysis, attending physicians (odds ratio [OR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.2-7.8) and nurses (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.3-7.4) were much more likely than resident physicians to report family participation on rounds as very/extremely important. Clinician support for key FCR elements was higher than self-reported practice (e.g., 88% believed family participation was important on rounds; 68% reported it often/always occurred). In practice, key elements of FCR were reported to often/always occur only 23%-70% of the time. RESULT: Support for nurse and family participation in FCR is high among clinicians but varies by role. Physicians, particularly resident physicians, endorse several FCR elements as less important than nurses and patients/families. The gap between attitudes and practice and between clinician types suggests that attitudinal, structural, and cultural barriers impede FCR.

Intervention, individual, and contextual determinants to high adherence to structured family-centered rounds: a national multi-site mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Effective communication in transitions between healthcare team members is associated with improved patient safety and experience through a clinically meaningful reduction in serious safety events. Family-centered rounds (FCR) can serve a critical role in interprofessional and patient-family communication. Despite widespread support, FCRs are not utilized consistently in many institutions. Structured FCR approaches may prove beneficial in increasing FCR use but should address organizational challenges. The purpose of this study was to identify intervention, individual, and contextual determinants of high adherence to common elements of structured FCR in pediatric inpatient units during the implementation phase of a large multi-site study implementing a structured FCR approach. METHODS: We performed an explanatory sequential mixed methods study from September 2019 to October 2020 to evaluate the variation in structured FCR adherence across 21 pediatric inpatient units. We analyzed 24 key informant interviews of supervising physician faculty, physician learners, nurses, site administrators, and project leaders at 3 sites using a qualitative content analysis paradigm to investigate site variation in FCR use. We classified implementation determinants based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. RESULTS: Provisional measurements of adherence demonstrated considerable variation in structured FCR use across sites at a median time of 5 months into the implementation. Consistent findings across all three sites included generally positive clinician beliefs regarding the use of FCR and structured rounding approaches, benefits to learner self-efficacy, and potential efficiency gains derived through greater rounds standardization, as well as persistent challenges with nurse engagement and interaction on rounds and coordination and use of resources for families with limited English proficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Studies during implementation to identify determinants to high adherence can provide generalizable knowledge regarding implementation determinants that may be difficult to predict prior to implementation, guide adaptation during the implementation, and inform sustainment strategies.

Association of Patient and Family Reports of Hospital Safety Climate With Language Proficiency in the US.

Importance: Patients with language barriers have a higher risk of experiencing hospital safety events. This study hypothesized that language barriers would be associated with poorer perceptions of hospital safety climate relating to communication openness. Objective: To examine disparities in reported hospital safety climate by language proficiency in a cohort of hospitalized children and their families. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study conducted from April 29, 2019, through March 1, 2020, included pediatric patients and parents or caregivers of hospitalized children at general and subspecialty units at 21 US hospitals. Randomly selected Arabic-, Chinese-, English-, and Spanish-speaking hospitalized patients and families were approached before hospital discharge and were included in the analysis if they provided both language proficiency and health literacy data. Participants self-rated language proficiency via surveys. Limited English proficiency was defined as an answer of anything other than "very well" to the question "how well do you speak English?" Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were top-box (top most; eg, strongly agree) 5-point Likert scale ratings for 3 Children's Hospital Safety Climate Questionnaire communication openness items: (1) freely speaking up if you see something that may negatively affect care (top-box response: strongly agree), (2) questioning decisions or actions of health care providers (top-box response: strongly agree), and (3) being afraid to ask questions when something does not seem right (top-box response: strongly disagree [reverse-coded item]). Covariates included health literacy and sociodemographic characteristics. Logistic regression was used with generalized estimating equations to control for clustering by site to model associations between openness items and language proficiency, adjusting for health literacy and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Of 813 patients, parents, and caregivers who were approached to participate in the study, 608 completed surveys (74.8% response rate). A total of 87.7% (533 of 608) of participants (434 [82.0%] female individuals) completed language proficiency and health literacy items and were included in the analyses; of these, 14.1% (75) had limited English proficiency. Participants with limited English proficiency had lower odds of freely speaking up if they see something that may negatively affect care (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.26; 95% CI, 0.15-0.43), questioning decisions or actions of health care providers (aOR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.09-0.41), and being unafraid to ask questions when something does not seem right (aOR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.27-0.71). Individuals with limited health literacy (aOR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48-0.91) and a lower level of educational attainment (aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36-0.95) were also less likely to question decisions or actions. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that limited English proficiency was associated with lower odds of speaking up, questioning decisions or actions of providers, and being unafraid to ask questions when something does not seem right. This disparity may contribute to higher hospital safety risk for patients with limited English proficiency. Dedicated efforts to improve communication with patients and families with limited English proficiency are necessary to improve hospital safety and reduce disparities.

Impact of Universal Suicide Risk Screening in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Discrete Event Simulation Approach.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to use discrete event simulation (DES) to model the impact of two universal suicide risk screening scenarios (emergency department [ED] and hospital-wide) on mean length of stay (LOS), wait times, and overflow of our secure patient care unit for patients being evaluated for a behavioral health complaint (BHC) in the ED of a large, academic children's hospital. METHODS: We developed a conceptual model of BHC patient flow through the ED, incorporating anticipated system changes with both universal suicide risk screening scenarios. Retrospective site-specific patient tracking data from 2017 were used to generate model parameters and validate model output metrics with a random 50/50 split for derivation and validation data. RESULTS: The model predicted small increases (less than 1 hour) in LOS and wait times for our BHC patients in both universal screening scenarios. However, the days per year in which the ED experienced secure unit overflow increased (existing system: 52.9 days; 95% CI, 51.5-54.3 days; ED: 94.4 days; 95% CI, 92.6-96.2 days; and hospital-wide: 276.9 days; 95% CI, 274.8-279.0 days). CONCLUSIONS: The DES model predicted that implementation of either universal suicide risk screening scenario would not severely impact LOS or wait times for BHC patients in our ED. However, universal screening would greatly stress our existing ED capacity to care for BHC patients in secure, dedicated patient areas by creating more overflow.

Predictors of Elevated Social Risk in Pediatric Emergency Department Patients and Families.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify predictors of high unmet social needs among pediatric emergency department (ED) patients. We hypothesized that obesity, frequent nonurgent visits, reported food insecurity, or an at-risk chief complaint (CC) would predict elevated social risk. METHODS: We administered a tablet-based survey assessing unmet social needs in 13 domains to caregivers of patients aged 0 to 17 years presenting to an urban pediatric ED. Responses were used to tabulate a social risk score (SRS). We performed multivariable logistic regression to measure associations between a high SRS (≥3) and obesity, frequent nonurgent visits, food insecurity, or an at-risk CC (physical abuse, sexual abuse, assault, mammalian bites, reproductive/sexual health complaints, intoxication, ingestion/poisoning, psychiatric/behavioral complaints, or any complaint triaged as "least urgent"). RESULTS: Five hundred seventy caregivers completed the survey. Eighty-one percent reported at least one unmet social need, and 33% identified ≥3 social needs. Caregivers of patients with an at-risk CC had twice the odds of a high SRS (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-3.3). Caregivers of patients reporting food insecurity had 4 times the odds of a high SRS (aOR, 4.3; 95% CI, 2.5-7.3). Neither obesity (aOR, 1.5; 95% CI, 0.9-2.6) nor frequent nonurgent visits (aOR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.4-1.9) were predictive of a high SRS. CONCLUSIONS: Unmet social needs are prevalent among caregivers of pediatric ED patients, supporting universal screening in this population. Patients with an at-risk CC or reported food insecurity might benefit from proactive intervention. Future studies should examine optimal methods for ED-based interventions that address social determinants of health.

Practicing What We Teach: Increasing Inhaler Use for Mild Asthma in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is a leading cause of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. A metered-dose inhaler and spacer (MDI-S) device is equivalent to and more cost effective than delivery by nebulization in the ED management of mild asthma exacerbations. We aimed to increase the use of albuterol MDI-S among patients with mild asthma exacerbations using a quality improvement framework. METHODS: We evaluated albuterol use for mild asthma exacerbations between January 2019 and March 2020 in our pediatric EDs. RESULTS: Our primary outcome was the proportion of albuterol delivered through an MDI-S. Our process measure was the use of a new electronic order set. Balancing measures included ED length of stay, admission rates, and the use of intravenous magnesium. Interventions included forging multidisciplinary partnerships, revising clinical practice guidelines, establishing an electronic order set, and leading educational initiatives for clinicians. We demonstrated a center line shift of MDI-S use from 34.4% to 47.7%. The average length of stay, hospital admissions, and magnesium use were not affected by our interventions. CONCLUSION: Forging multidisciplinary partnerships, creating an electronic order set prioritizing albuterol MDI-S use, and educational initiatives led to a sustained increase in albuterol MDI-S use for mild asthma in our pediatric EDs.

Firearms Injuries Involving Young Children in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Increased rates of firearm ownership, school closures, and a suspected decrease in supervision during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic place young children at increased risk of firearm injuries. We measured trends in firearm injuries in children and inflicted by children discharging a firearm during the pandemic and correlated these changes with a rise in firearm acquisition. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study with an interrupted time series analysis, we used multiyear data from the Gun Violence Archive. We compared trends in (1) firearm injuries in children younger than 12 years old and (2) firearm injuries inflicted by children younger than 12 years old during the pre-COVID-19 period (March to August in the years 2016-2019) and during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to August 2020). Linear regression models were developed to evaluate the relationship between firearm injuries and new firearm acquisitions. RESULTS: There was an increased risk of (1) firearm injuries in young children (relative risk = 1.90; 95% confidence interval 1.58 to 2.29) and (2) firearm injuries inflicted by young children (relative risk = 1.43; 95% confidence interval 1.14 to 1.80) during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to the pre-COVID-19 study period. These increased incidents correlate with an increase in new firearm ownership (P < .03). CONCLUSIONS: There has been a surge in firearm injuries in young children and inflicted by young children during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent and critical need for enactment of interventions aimed at preventing firearm injuries and deaths involving children.

Sociodemographic Factors and Outcomes by Intent of Firearm Injury.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Firearm injuries are a leading and preventable cause of morbidity and mortality among youth. We sought to explore differences in sociodemographic factors and youth firearm injury outcomes by injury intent (unintentional, assault, and self-harm). METHODS: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis of emergency department (ED) visits among youth aged 21 and younger presenting to an ED with a firearm injury between 2009 and 2016 using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. We performed multivariable logistic regression to measure the strength of association between (1) patient-level factors, (2) visit-level characteristics, and (3) clinical outcomes and intent of firearm injury. RESULTS: We identified 178 299 weighted visits for firearm injuries. The mean age was 17.9 (95% confidence interval 17.8-18.0) years; 89.0% of patients were male, 43.0% were publicly insured, 28.8% were admitted, and 6.0% died. Approximately one-third of the injuries were categorized as unintentional (39.4%), another third as assault (37.7%), and a small proportion as self-harm (1.7%). Unintentional firearm injuries were associated with younger age, rural hospital location, Southern region, ED discharge, and extremity injury. Self-harm firearm injuries were associated with older age, higher socioeconomic status, rural hospital location, transfer or death, and brain, back, or spinal cord injury. Firearm injuries by assault were associated with lower socioeconomic status, urban hospital location, and requiring admission. CONCLUSIONS: We identified distinct risk profiles for youth with unintentional, self-harm-, and assault-related firearm injuries. Sociodemographic factors related to intent may be useful in guiding policy and informing tailored interventions for the prevention of firearm injuries in at-risk youth.

Prospective Development and Validation of the Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth.

Importance: The rate of suicide among adolescents is rising in the US, yet many adolescents at risk are unidentified and receive no mental health services. Objective: To develop and independently validate a novel computerized adaptive screen for suicidal youth (CASSY) for use as a universal screen for suicide risk in medical emergency departments (EDs). Design, Setting, and Participants: Study 1 of this prognostic study prospectively enrolled adolescent patients at 13 geographically diverse US EDs in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. They completed a baseline suicide risk survey and participated in 3-month telephone follow-ups. Using 3 fixed Ask Suicide-Screening Questions items as anchors and additional items that varied in number and content across individuals, we derived algorithms for the CASSY. In study 2, data were collected from patients at 14 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network EDs and 1 Indian Health Service hospital. Algorithms were independently validated in a prospective cohort of adolescent patients who also participated in 3-month telephone follow-ups. Adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were consecutively approached during randomly assigned shifts. Exposures: Presentation at an ED. Main Outcome and Measure: A suicide attempt between ED visit and 3-month follow-up, measured via patient and/or parent report. Results: The study 1 CASSY derivation sample included 2075 adolescents (1307 female adolescents [63.0%]; mean [SD] age, 15.1 [1.61] years) with 3-month follow-ups (72.9% retention [2075 adolescents]). The study 2 validation sample included 2754 adolescents (1711 female adolescents [62.1%]; mean [SD] age, 15.0 [1.65] years), with 3-month follow-ups (69.5% retention [2754 adolescents]). The CASSY algorithms had excellent predictive accuracy for suicide attempt (area under the curve, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.85-0.91]) in study 1. The mean number of adaptively administered items was 11 (range, 5-21). At a specificity of 80%, the CASSY had a sensitivity of 83%. It also demonstrated excellent accuracy in the study 2 validation sample (area under the curve, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.85-0.89]). In this study, the CASSY had a sensitivity of 82.4% for prediction of a suicide attempt at the 80% specificity cutoff established in study 1. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, the adaptive and personalized CASSY demonstrated excellent suicide attempt risk recognition, which has the potential to facilitate linkage to services.